Exodus 2:1
New International Version
Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman,

New Living Translation
About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married.

English Standard Version
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman.

Berean Standard Bible
Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,

King James Bible
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

New King James Version
And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi.

New American Standard Bible
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.

NASB 1995
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.

NASB 1977
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.

Legacy Standard Bible
And a man from the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as a wife.

Amplified Bible
Now a man of the house of Levi [the priestly tribe] went and took as his wife a daughter of Levi.

Christian Standard Bible
Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman.

American Standard Version
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

Contemporary English Version
A man from the Levi tribe married a woman from the same tribe,

English Revised Version
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A man from Levi's family married a Levite woman.

Good News Translation
During this time a man from the tribe of Levi married a woman of his own tribe,

International Standard Version
A man of the family of Levi married the daughter of a descendant of Levi.

Majority Standard Bible
Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,

NET Bible
A man from the household of Levi married a woman who was a descendant of Levi.

New Heart English Bible
A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.

Webster's Bible Translation
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and married a daughter of Levi.

World English Bible
A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And there goes a man of the house of Levi, and he takes the daughter of Levi,

Young's Literal Translation
And there goeth a man of the house of Levi, and he taketh the daughter of Levi,

Smith's Literal Translation
And a man from the house of Levi will go and take a daughter of Levi.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
After this there went a man of the house of Levi; and took a wife of his own kindred.

Catholic Public Domain Version
After these things, a man from the house of Levi went out, and he took a wife from his own stock.

New American Bible
Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,

New Revised Standard Version
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
AND there went a man from the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of the house of Levi.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And a man went on who was of the house of Levi, and he took a daughter of Levi.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And there was a certain man of the tribe of Levi, who took to wife one of the daughters of Levi.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Birth of Moses
1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a daughter of Levi, 2and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.…

Cross References
Hebrews 11:23
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict.

Acts 7:20
At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house.

Numbers 26:59
and Amram’s wife was named Jochebed. She was also a daughter of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.

Exodus 6:20
And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

Matthew 2:13-15
When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.” / So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt, / where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Acts 7:22
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

Hebrews 11:24-26
By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. / He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. / He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.

Genesis 46:11
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

1 Chronicles 6:1-3
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. / The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. / The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

1 Chronicles 23:12-13
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all. / The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

Deuteronomy 33:8-11
Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah. / He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant. / He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar. ...

Psalm 77:20
You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 105:26
He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron, whom He had chosen.

Isaiah 63:11-12
Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, / who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown,

Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”


Treasury of Scripture

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

A.

Exodus 6:16-20
And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years…

Numbers 26:59
And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

1 Chronicles 6:1-3
The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari…

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Exodus 2
1. Moses is born, and placed in a basket in the reeds of Nile.
5. He is found, and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter;
7. who employs his mother to nurse him.
11. He kills an Egyptian.
13. He reproves a Hebrew.
15. He flees into Midian, and marries Zipporah.
22. Gershom is born.
23. God respects the Israelites' cry.














Now
The word "Now" serves as a transitional marker, connecting the narrative of Exodus 2 with the preceding chapter. It indicates a continuation of the account of the Israelites in Egypt, setting the stage for the introduction of Moses. This transition is crucial as it moves from the broader context of Israel's suffering to the specific account of Moses, who will become a central figure in God's plan for deliverance.

a man of the house of Levi
The phrase "a man of the house of Levi" identifies the lineage of Moses' father, Amram. The tribe of Levi is significant in Israelite history, as it is later designated as the priestly tribe. The Levites were set apart for religious duties, and this heritage foreshadows Moses' future role as a leader and mediator between God and His people. The Levites' dedication to God is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness and service.

married
The act of marriage here is not just a personal union but a continuation of God's covenantal promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Marriage within the Israelite community was a means of preserving the faith and identity of God's chosen people. This union also highlights the importance of family and lineage in the unfolding of God's redemptive plan, as it leads to the birth of Moses, who will play a pivotal role in the history of Israel.

a daughter of Levi
The phrase "a daughter of Levi" refers to Jochebed, Moses' mother. Her Levitical heritage is significant, as it underscores the purity and dedication of Moses' lineage. The mention of both parents being from the tribe of Levi emphasizes the spiritual and cultural heritage that Moses inherits. This background prepares him for his future role as a leader and lawgiver, deeply rooted in the traditions and faith of his ancestors.

II.

THE BIRTH, EDUCATION, AND EARLY LIFE OF MOSES.

(1) There went.--Comp. Genesis 35:22; Hosea 1:3. The expression is idiomatic, and has no special force.

A man of the house of Levi.--Note the extreme simplicity of this announcement; and compare it with the elaborate legends wherewith Oriental religions commonly surrounded the birth of those who were considered their founders, as Thoth, Zoroaster, Orpheus. Even the name of the man is here omitted as unimportant. It is difficult to conceive any one but Moses making such an omission.

A daughter of Levi--i.e., a woman of the same tribe as himself, a descendant of Levi--not a daughter in the literal sense, which the chronology makes impossible.

Verses 1-10. - THE BIRTH, ESCAPE, AND EDUCATION OF MOSES. Some years before the Pharaoh issued his edict for the general destruction of the Hebrew male children, Amram of the tribe of Levi, had married Jochebed, his kinswoman (Exodus 6:20). They had already had two children - Miriam, a daughter, born probably soon after the marriage, and Aaron, a son, born some twelve years later. Soon after the issue of the edict, Jochebed gave birth to her third child, a son, who therefore came under its terms. Knowing as she did what fate was in store for him, if his existence became known to the Egyptians, she "hid him three months." Then, despairing of being able to keep him concealed much longer, she devised the plan related in vers. 3-4, which proved successful. Verse 1. - There went a man. The Hebrew language is deficient in tenses, and cannot mark pluperfect time. The meaning is, that "a man of the house of Levi had gone, some time before, and taken to wife a daughter of Levi." Miriam must have been fourteen or fifteen at the time of the exposure of Moses. By a daughter of Levi, we must not understand an actual daughter, which is irreconcilable with the chronology, but one of Levi's descendants - "a wife of the daughters of Levi," as the LXX. translates.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now a man
אִ֖ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of the house
מִבֵּ֣ית (mib·bêṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of Levi
לֵוִ֑י (lê·wî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3878: Levi -- a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him

married
וַיִּקַּ֖ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

a Levite
לֵוִֽי׃ (lê·wî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3878: Levi -- a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him

woman,
בַּת־ (baṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter


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OT Law: Exodus 2:1 A man of the house of Levi (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 1:22
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